


On The Hunt

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But Not Much, M/M, Theo has an inconvenient crush, season six, things change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 10:21:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18313616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Theo doesn't like it when things don't make sense. And Nolan Holloway doesn't make sense.





	On The Hunt

"Run," he'd told him. And Nolan had, sprinting away, crossbow lying forgotten at their feet. He'd had more immediate concerns then, namely getting him and Liam out of the abandoned zoo alive, but something had niggled at him.

It hadn't been fear in his eyes. It was relief.

Like maybe he hadn't wanted to be there in the first place.

"What do we know about that Nolan kid?" He asked Liam.

Liam jumped, looking shifty as he put his phone back in his pocket. "Nothing," he said quickly. "I have to go."

Theo rolled his eyes. "I'll go with you, dumbass. Just to make sure you don't get yourself killed."

Liam protested, but Theo didn't give him a choice. And besides, Theo was the one with a car.

"Seriously though," he said, checking the rear view mirror to make sure they weren't being followed. "Nolan. What's up with him?"

"He's an asshole," Liam said. "He's on the lacrosse team with Gabe. They're part of the gang going around beating people up and stabbing them."

Theo frowned, listening more to what Liam wasn't saying than what he was.

"But no killing?" He asked.

Liam shot a look at him. "Nothing I've heard of. Why do you care so much?"

He shrugged. "Something about this whole thing doesn't sit right. The hunters didn't take him seriously. We set him up and they sent only those two hunters."

"So?" Liam said, folding his arms, a stubborn look on his face.

"So they treat him like he's the butt of a joke," Theo explained. "I don't like not being in on it, that's all."

Liam looked confused. "You want to laugh at Nolan?”

Theo sighed. God, he really was oblivious.

"Forget it," he grumbled. "Why does Nolan want us to meet him? And where are we going?"

"The school.  And who said it was Nolan?" Liam said defensively. Theo side-eyed him.

"Really? You wanna try that?"

Liam sighed. "He has something to show me apparently.”

"And you're trusting him?" Theo asked. "Why?"

"I don't know," Liam admitted. "It's like you said, something isn't right."

Theo nodded. It was reassuring to know that Liam was picking up on the same thing that he was. Whatever Nolan was, it wasn't a hunter.

***

It was Liam's idea to hide in the stacks. Theo just rolled his eyes and left him to it. He wanted a higher vantage point so that he could decide if this was a trap or not. He watched as Nolan entered the library, trying with all of his might to look casual and failing miserably. He drew looks from half a dozen students. Some of those looks lingered. Theo took note of them.

But no one else followed Nolan into the library. Theo made his ways down the stairs with a book in his hand, scanning the shelves and then turning into the row that contained Nolan and Liam. The little hunter didn't notice him, too busy arguing with Liam.

"Yes, yes, I have a plan," he said. "I'm going to show you what I need to at the hospital, and then you're going to kick my ass so that Monroe thinks that you had to beat the information out of me."

Liam looked thoughtful and Theo rolled his eyes. As if Liam would ever do it.

"That's a stupid plan," he said, placing the book he'd been examining back on the shelf.

Nolan jumped and whirled, eyes wide and fearful. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

Theo shrugged and smirked. "Where he goes, I go. Would've thought you'd figured that out by now. Speaking of, where's your other half?"

Nolan just gaped at him.

"You know, tall, dark hair, bat shit crazy. Ring a bell?" Theo taunted. He watched carefully as Nolan blanched. There was definitely more to this story.

"I have no idea," Nolan said, his hands shaking as he shoved them into the pockets of his red hoodie. "I haven't seen him in ages."

"You know," he said casually, "we had a chat with Gabe the other day. He had an interesting story to tell us. Can you guess what it was?"

Nolan went, if possible, even whiter. He looked like he was about to pass out.

"No," he said. Theo took a deep breath. The scent of Nolan's fear was bitter and filled the air around them. Any second now his fight or flight response was gonna kick in. Theo stepped closer, and Liam mirrored him, the two of them making it clear that he had nowhere to go. He had to give Nolan credit. He was terrified, but he held Theo's gaze.

"Was it you?" Theo asked. "Did you shoot up Scott's house?"

Liam's eyes narrowed, fingers clenching. Theo ignored it. He was almost certain of the answer.

He narrowed his focus to the beating of Nolan's heart. It didn't skip as he denied it. He was telling the truth.

Theo kept his gaze. "But you know who did it," he confirmed. Nolan nodded, looking ill. "Gabe."

Liam snarled. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."

He stalked off, and Nolan's shoulders slumped. The fear was dissipating, replaced with relief.

"He said it was for me," he whispered, eyes dropping, cheeks tinged pink with shame. "So that Monroe would trust me."

Theo hummed, his mind racing. They were setting Nolan up, but for what? Half the town was on their side. Why did Monroe care about this one kid?

"So, the hospital," he said, eyes narrowing. "What's going on there?"

Nolan's eyes flicked back up. "Wait, you believe me?"

"I'm a werewolf. I can tell if you're lying," he said impatiently. "The hospital, Nolan."

"There's others," he said quickly. "Others like you. They brought them in last night. They're all sedated, and they put wolfsbane into the bags to poison them."

"How do you know this?" Theo asked.

"I overheard it," Nolan shrugged. Theo's interest sharpened. Monroe was working with a hunter who thrived on sneaky little tricks. Gerard Argent. Nolan wouldn't have overheard this by chance.

"Come on," he said, turning away.

Nolan spluttered and then chased after him. "Where are we going?" He hissed, glancing around the room.

"We're getting Liam and then we're getting the hell out of here," he said.

***

They found Liam leaning against Theo's truck, scowling off into the distance. Theo scanned the truck. No damage that he could see. Lucky for Liam.

Liam tensed as they approached, his face going carefully blank. Theo was surprised. His control was getting better. "What's the plan?" Liam asked shortly.

"Not much of a plan at the moment," Theo said. "We just need to get out of this school and away from prying eyes."

He unlocked the truck and Liam clambered in, with Theo slowly walking around to the driver's side. Nolan hovered a few metres away, looking wary.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," he said stubbornly.

Theo looked at him over the top of the truck. "Nolan, if we wanted to kill you, I would have let Liam do it at the zoo." No, he really wouldn't have, but Nolan didn't need to know that right now. "At this rate, you're in far more danger from your own side than from us."

Nolan wavered, gaze darting back. He could probably sense how many people were watching him. Theo, however, could actually see them. If they left Nolan in this parking lot, he'd be dead by morning.

"Please," he said, drawing Nolan's attention back, "get in the car."

This time, Nolan nodded, shrinking in on himself as he slowly got in and shut the door behind him, the thud of the car door shutting signalling the end of his career as an amateur hunter.

The interior of the truck was silent as Theo drove. He didn't even know where they were going. Everyone's houses were being watched. The only safe haven really left was the Animal Clinic, and he wasn't sure if he trusted Nolan enough to take him there. He glanced at Liam and caught his gaze, leaving the decision to him. Nolan tugged at what little of a heart he had left. He wasn't thinking straight when it came to him.

"It's alright," Liam said quietly. "He's got nowhere else to go."

Theo looked in the rearview mirror. Nolan was staring blankly out the window, tears slowly tracking down his cheeks, a little waif with nothing left. Just like Theo. Fuck.

He sighed, turning left down the next street. He was in danger with this one. It was like it was with Liam but a million times worse. He wanted to put himself between them and any other danger. Liam, at least, had others to watch his back. Nolan had no one but him.

They pulled up behind the clinic, Theo having taken a less obvious route. He'd weaved through the town to check if they were being followed, but it seemed safe. Liam got out and walked straight inside, but Theo lingered, glancing up at the mirror again.

Nolan cleared his throat and sniffled, scrubbing at his cheeks with the sleeve of his red hoodie.

"You alright?" Theo asked.

"No," Nolan said in a small voice.

God, all he wanted to do was hug this kid.

He pushed the feeling down. It really was not the time or place for sentimentality.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get inside."

"No one wants me there," Nolan said. Theo turned to look at him, waiting until Nolan looked up at him.

"I do," he said.

Nolan's eyes widened, colour returning to his face. "Why?"

He shrugged. He didn't want to answer that. "I just do," he said simply.

Theo got out of the car, walking towards the clinic and Nolan followed meekly.

Scott met them at the door. His expression was stern as he looked at Nolan. "One chance. That's all you get." The message was clear. Don't fuck it up.

Nolan nodded and Scott stepped aside to let them through. Theo pushed down his own anxiety at stepping into the room. For all his posturing about being at Liam's side, he wasn't part of the pack. He was an outsider here, a threat. Nolan and he were more alike than the teen probably realised, though Nolan had a lot less blood on his hands.

He moved to the back of the room and Nolan followed like a puppy, slotting in beside him. Theo ignored Nolan's eyes on his face, focussing instead on the plan.

***

Nolan related to Scott and the others what he'd overheard at the hospital. Scott seemed a bit lost without Stiles. Theo still wasn't quite used to seeing him without the other boy, and it was like part of his identity had been stripped away. Malia and Lydia were the same, more or less. Angry and scary. Mason and Corey seemed more interested in glaring at Nolan, while Liam talked quietly with Scott and the others. Theo just observed it all with half of his attention trained on Nolan and his scents. He seemed more intrigued than anything else.

"Are they all..." He whispered, glancing at Theo. Theo looked at him.

"Supernatural?" He asked.

Nolan nodded.

"In one way or another," Theo shrugged.

"I thought that they'd be plotting to get their revenge," he said, looking confused. "But they're not."

"They're far too goody goody for that," he pointed out, smirking as Liam shot a sneer at him. "They protect the town, even from themselves."

"But," Nolan started again, before stopping and frowning.

"There's a creature called the Anuk-ite," Theo told him. "It controls minds, makes your fear and anger stronger, much stronger. So people like Monroe are using it to their advantage and using that fear to create an army."

Nolan listened to all of this, looking thoughtful. "So, it's like the whole mob mentality. Find a common enemy?"

"Give them weapons and point," Theo agreed.

"I was part of it," Nolan said, shaking his head. "God, she just made so much sense, you know? The safety of the school and the students was being ignored, these creatures coming in and slaughtering people and everyone was pretending it was just animal attacks, conspiracy after conspiracy."

"She's right," Theo shrugged. "A lot of that stuff does get swept under the rug, but it means that no one actually knows  _ how bad it could have been if people like Scott weren't putting a stop to it."  _ To people like me, he added silently.

He looked up, and Scott was looking at him, his dark eyes evaluating him. Theo flushed and looked away. He regretted a lot of the things he'd done in the past, still had a lot of bad to make up for. But at least he'd saved this one kid. Well, for now anyway.

Theo listened in to Scott and Liam's conversation while looking down at his hands.

"So, what's the plan?" Theo asked, drawing attention away from himself and back to the situation at hand.

"This thing can turn people into statues," Malia said with a shrug. "We need to learn how to fight blind."

Theo's gaze sharpened. He looked at Scott. "Deucalion?"

Reluctantly, Scott nodded. Theo felt a flash of anger. Deucalion was the one who had taught him how to take power, he'd set Theo up, and he'd killed nearly his whole pack; something that still haunted him to this day. The world would be a different place if Tracy and Josh were still alive.

Liam's frown caught his attention, and he looked at him instead. He raised an eyebrow at him, and Liam made a face. It made him feel a bit better, but the sting that Scott would happily work with Deucalion but still scorned Theo was a sour taste in his mouth. He didn't deserve his recognition, but he still wanted it.

Seemingly satisfied, Liam turned back to Scott. "What about the hospital?"

Scott nodded slowly. "You guys go there, check it out. Stay together, and look out for my mum, yeah?"

"We're going too," Mason said, Corey's hand clutched in his. Theo glanced at them, scenting Mason's fear. It wasn't as thick as it had been when they were down in the tunnels, but it wasn't far off. The Anuk-ite was getting stronger. If they didn't defeat it soon, then they would all need to leave. The fear would drive them to do desperate, dangerous things.  _ Like go into a hospital full of hunters _ , he pointed out to himself with a sigh.

"Okay," Scott said, but he looked concerned. His eyes sought out Theo's, a question in them. Slightly, Theo nodded. He'd look out for them. It was the least he could do.

Scott gave him a grim smile, and turned away to talk to Malia again. Taking it as the dismissal it was, Theo pushed away from the wall.

"Let's go," he said quietly to Nolan. He knew the rest would follow.

***

Theo only had to save Nolan twice. Once from Gabe, who had somehow managed to corner him while Theo wasn't looking and was repeatedly punching him. Theo had sent him on his way thinking twice about coming near Nolan ever again if he liked every bone in his body in tact. The second time had been when he'd left him with Melissa rather than take him upstairs. He'd pulled Liam into the elevator just in time, but if Nolan had been there too, he would have had to sacrifice one of them to save the other. He didn't quite know which it would have been.

There had been a moment, a single stuttered heartbeat when he'd thought that Liam was going to kiss him. Probably from relief more than anything else, but his heart had hammered in his chest. Maybe once he would have welcomed it, but there was a different pair of blue eyes that haunted his dreams now, and they didn't belong to the beta.

The fight had been fast and furious and frantic, Theo and Liam working in sync to defeat the hunters, turning and running as Gabe fired at them. Even then, knowing that Gabe had hurt Nolan, that he had shot up Scott's house, Theo had been unable to attack him. He was just a kid, and watching him fall under the rain of friendly fire had been gut-wrenching. Nolan had come out of nowhere and brained the guy with a fire extinguisher, but it was too late. There was nothing that Theo could do but take his pain as the light faded from his eyes.

He stood there for a long time, looking down at his crumpled body. Gabe had been a tool, fine tuned with fear and anger and pointed at a threat, just another kid, another victim, another statistic. Theo was so tired of it.

Liam left with Mason and Corey and Melissa. They had to go find the rest of the pack, find out what happened. But Theo, Theo couldn't move. His feet were stuck to the floor, Gabe's blood pooling further until it touched his converse.

"Theo?" Nolan's voice was quiet, tinged with anxiety and concern. He stood a few metres back, hovering uncertainly. Theo closed his eyes. Not that it mattered. Gabe was burned into his synapses.

He turned away, looking back at Nolan. "What is it?"

"Let's go," Nolan urged him, tears welling in his eyes. "Please? I can't stand looking anymore."

Theo studied him. Nolan was pale, with dark bruises under his eyes. When was the last time he'd slept? Or eaten?

He nodded, slowly lifting up his foot, turning away, leaving bloodied footsteps as he moved closer to Nolan. "Come on then," he said. He walked past Nolan, and the other boy fell into step beside him, thankfully silent.

The damage to the hospital was extensive. Everywhere he looked there were bullet holes, broken windows, furniture strewn through the halls as barricades. And bodies, and blood, and people groaning in pain. Nurses and doctors rushed past them, gathering the wounded, placing sheets over the dead. Theo shuddered. He hated the hospital with a passion, would gladly never step foot in the place again for the rest of his life.

His first breath of fresh air tasted like freedom on his tongue. The stink of fear was gone. Scott had clearly won. They were safe.

Nolan looked at him, eyes widening. He could feel the difference as well.

"It's over?" He asked.

Theo nodded and Nolan's lip quirked up in something that almost resembled a smile before ducking his head. The scent of his tears followed straight after, but Theo let him keep his dignity, looking away. He felt a little like crying himself. The horror of the past few weeks was finally over. Somehow, he'd actually survived it.

"We should celebrate," he decided, thinking out loud.

Nolan shot him an incredulous look, swiping at his cheeks. His hoodie wasn't as bright as it had been before. It was filthy, covered in blood and dust and who knew what else. "Celebrate what?" He asked.

Theo shrugged. "We survived. We're free. If that's not worth celebrating, then I don't know what is."

Nolan continued to look at him, more confused than anything else. He didn't get it, but that was fine. He'd known freedom. Theo had been caged in one way or another his entire life. He started to walk to his truck, calling over his shoulder. "Come on," he urged. "I bet if we're quick we can get food and booze before anyone realises it's gone."

He smirked as Nolan spluttered. "That's stealing." But he ran to catch up anyway.

"We saved the day," Theo pointed out. "Karma is in our favour for the time being."

***

Theo took great relish in switching his phone off, chucking it into the back seat of the truck before pulling out his blanket. He had sugar and carbs galore (as much as he'd been able to carry, Nolan had stayed in the truck) and a bottle of whiskey. There was a cute boy to flirt with, music playing from the truck's radio, and it was a bright clear night, the sky full of twinkling diamonds.

This was literally as good as it could get.

He set out the blanket on the back of his truck, facing backwards towards the city by the preserve's lookout, placed the bag of goodies beside it and then jumped up, settling back with a happy sigh as he popped open a bag of chips.

"You coming or what, Holloway?" He asked.

Nolan was standing over near the edge, arms wrapped around himself, staring out at the view.

"Yeah," he sighed, turning back to the truck and trudging towards it. The moonlight in his hair made him look otherworldly, shining over his still damp locks. They'd stopped in at Nolan's for a shower and a change of clothes (for Nolan, Theo obviously had his own in his truck) and the scent of Nolan's body wash on his skin was making him squirm a little. Both of his animals were on edge, waiting only for a signal from Nolan that he was interested.

The blonde was quiet as he sat beside Theo, idly munching on some pretzels as he looked up at the sky. Theo kept finding his eyes drifting to him, unable to tear them away for long. Nolan's proximity and the warmth of the liquor starting to tingle through his body were filling Theo with an intense longing to taste his lips.

Nolan might not have the senses of a supernatural creature, but he wasn't oblivious. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" He asked, glancing at Theo and then away, cheeks flushing slightly. Theo's eyes lingered. The pink against the freckles was breathtaking.

"I can't help it," he said, deciding that being straight-forward was best. Nolan didn't seem like the type that enjoyed games.

He offered Nolan the bottle of whiskey, watching as he tipped it back, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. His gaze lingered on his neck, moving slowly up. Nolan was looking at him, eyes wary.

"You want to bite me?" He asked nervously.

Theo's eyes darkened. "Yes," he agreed, "but not, I think, in the way you mean it right now."

Nolan tilted his head slightly, like a confused puppy. Theo's chest tightened. Fuck but he was adorable.

"I mean," he continued before Nolan could interrupt, "that I very much want to bite you, but not with my fangs." He licked his lips with exaggerated slowness, thrilled when Nolan followed the movement with his eyes, mimicking him, pink tongue darting out to wet his lips. His eyes flicked back up to Theo's, flushing more, tipping his head back to take another mouthful of the alcohol before passing it back to him.

Theo set it down. Pleasantly tipsy was one thing, plastered was another. He wanted Nolan in his right mind if and when he actually kissed him.

"Then how do you want to bite me?" Nolan asked. The blue of his eyes were darker, wilder. Theo smiled, leaning in and gently caressing Nolan's jaw, tilting it up and away as his lips descended.

Nolan's pulse raced against his lips as he brushed them over his skin, moving higher to find the sweet spot that made him shiver. Nolan sighed as he sucked at it, teeth grazing the spot before biting down and sucking hard, excitement boiling in his blood as the scent of lust filled the air.

Slowly, he moved back, examining the mark he'd made on the pale skin of Nolan's neck with smug satisfaction, looking up to find Nolan watching him. "Like that," Theo said, eyes gleaming, "that's how I want to bite you."

Nolan was more daring than he gave him credit for. He leaned in boldly, hovering just out of reach. "Where?" He asked, voice husky and low and seductive. Theo was charmed.

"My sweet boy," he purred, "wherever you want me to."

It was Nolan who kissed him, crawling into his lap, long fingers tugging at his hair as he claimed his mouth, stealing his breath with his drugging kisses, doing more to change him than the dread doctors had managed to do in a decade of experimentation. He cradled Nolan's face in his hands as he kissed him back, holding him close as he rolled them, pinning Nolan against the blanket. As he found all of the places that made Nolan cry out in ecstasy, Theo watched his face, utterly entranced by him.

His heart hammered in his chest, reminding him that he was alive, that he'd survived, that he had something to live for.

And later, when they'd sated their lust in each other's bodies and were wrapped in Theo's blanket in the back seat of the truck, Theo knew that he'd never forget this night. Nolan's head was pillowed on his chest, eyelashes dark against his freckled cheeks, beautiful in a way that was almost painful to look at. They were alive, and they had the rest of their lives to figure out the rest of it.

Theo pressed a kiss to the top of his head, finally closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him. For the first time in month, he didn't fear his dreams. His demons had been defeated, and he was content.


End file.
